3COM RMON-EMP-3 User Manual

®

ONline Ethernet RMON MultiProbe

Module Installation and Operation

Guide

Document Number 17-0 0519-2

Printed March 1996

Model Number: RMON-EMP-3

Software Version 1.0

3Com Co rporation
118 Turnpike Road

Southbo rough, MA 01772-1886

U.S.A.

(508) 46 0- 8900

FAX [phone]

Federal Communications Comm ission
Notice

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the
limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference when the equipment i s operated in a
commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to rad io communications. Operation of this equipment
in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which
case you must correct the interference at your own expense.

Canadian Emissions Requirements

This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the
Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet apparei l numérique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences
du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.

VDE Class B Compl ianc e

Hiermit wird bescheinigt, dass der RMON-EMP-3 in
Üebereinstimmung mit den Bestimmungen der Vfg 243/1991
funkentstöert ist.

Der Deutschen Bundespost wurde das Inverkehrbringen dieses
Geraetes angezeigt und die Berechtigung zur Üeberprüefung der
Serie auf Einhaltung der Bestimmungen eingeräeumt.

Einhaltung mit betreffenden Bestimmugen kommt darauf an, dass
geschirmte Ausfuehrungen gebraucht werden. Fuer die
Beschaffung richtiger Ausfuehrungen ist der Betreiber
verantwortlich.

This is to certify that the RMON-EMP-3 is shielded against radio
interference in accordance with the provisions of Vfg 243/1991.

The German Postal Services have been advised that this equipment
is being placed on the market and that they have been given the
right to inspect the series for compliance with regulations.

Compliance with applicable regulations depends on the use of
shielded cables. The user is responsible for procuring the
appropriate cables.

EN55022/CISPR22 Com p lian ce

This equipment conforms to the Class A emissions limits for a
digital device as defined by EN55022 (CISPR22).

VCCI Class 1 Compl i an ce

This equipment is in the 1st Class category (informa tion equipment
to be used in commercial or industrial areas) and conforms to the
standards set by the V oluntary Control Council for Inter fere nce by
Information Technology Equipment aimed at preventing radio
interference in commercial or industrial areas.

Consequently, when the equipment is used in a residential area or
in an adjacent area, r adio interferenc e may be caused to radio and
TV receivers, and so on.

Read the instructions for correct handling.

UK General Approval Statem en t

The ONcore Switching Hub, ONline System Concentrator, and
ONsemble StackSyste m Hub are manufactur ed to the International
Safety Standard EN 60950 and are approve d in the UK under the
Genera l Approval Number NS/G/12345/J/100003 for indirect
connection to the public telecommunication network.

Disclaimer

The information in this document is subject to change without
notice and should not be construed as a commitment by 3Com
Corporation. 3Com Corporation assumes no responsibility for any
errors that may appear in this document.

Copyright Statement

©

1996, by 3Com Corporation. Printed in U.S.A. All rights r eserved.
3Com is a registered trademark of 3Com Corp oration. ONcore is a
registered trademark of 3Com Corporation. The informat ion
contained herein is the exclusive and confidential property of
3Com Corporation. No part of this manual may be disclosed or
reproduced in whole or in part without permission from 3Com
Corporation.

Trademarks and Patents

Because of the nature of this material, numerous hardware and
software products are mentioned by name. In most, if not all
cases, these product names are claimed as trademarks by the
companies that manufacture the products. It is not the intent of
3Com Corporation to claim these names or trademarks as its ow n.

3Com, Artel, Boundary Routing, CardBoard, CardFacts, Galactica,
EtherDisk, EtherLink, EtherLink II, EtherLink Plus, LANplex,
LANsentry, LinkBuilder, NETBuilder, NETBuilder II, NetFacts,
ONcore, ONsemble, ORnet, Parallel Tasking, SmartAgent,
StarBridge, T okenLink, Tok enLink Plus, TriChannel, and View Builder
are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation.

ii Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Operation Guide

3Com Laser Library, 3Com OpenHub, 3TECH, FDDILink, FMS,
G-Man, MultiProbe, NetProbe, OnDeck, ONdemand, ONline,
PowerRing, StackJack, StackWay, Star-Tek, SwitchCentral, and
Transcend are trademarks of 3Com Corporation.

3ComFacts and Ask3Com are service marks of 3Com Corporation.
The 3Com Multichannel Architecture Communications System is

registered under U.S. Patent Number 5,301,303.
3Com registered trademarks are registered in the United States,

and may or may not be register ed i n other countrie s. Other brand
and product names may be reg istered tradema rks or trademark s of
their respective holders.

AT&T is a registered trademark of American Telephone and
Telegraph Company.

Banyan and VINES are registered trademarks of Banyan
Systems Inc.

CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe, Inc.
ProComm is a registered trademark of DATASTORM

TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
DA TAST ORM is a trademar k of DA T AST ORM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

DEC, DECnet, DELNI, POLYCENTER, VAX, VT100, VT220, and the
Digital logo are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation.

Hayes is a r egistered tradema rk of Hay es Micr ocomputer Products.
OpenView is a r egister ed tradema rk of Hewlet t-Packard Company .
Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
AIX, IBM, and NetView are re gistere d trade mark s of International

Business Machines Corporation.
Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft

Corp.
Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corp.

OSF and OSF/Motif are registered trademarks of Open Software
Foundation, Inc.

V30 is a trademark of NEC Corporation.
NetWare and Novell are registered trademarks of Novell,

Incorporated.
IPX is a trademark of Novell, Incorporated.

Retix is a regi stered trademark of Retix.
ROUTERXchange is a trademark of Retix.

Solaris, SPARCengine, Sun, Sun Microsystems, and SunSoft are
registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
ONC, OpenWindow s, SunNet Manager , a nd SunOS are tr ademarks
of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
SPARCstation and SPARCompiler are licensed exclusively to Sun
Microsystems, Inc.

OPEN LOOK is a registered trademark of Unix System Laboratories,
Inc.

UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other
countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company, Ltd.

Restricted Rights

Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to
restrictions as set forth in subpar agraph (c)(1) (ii) of the Rights in
Technical Data and Computer Software clause at
DFARS 252.227-7013.

Printed on recycled paper.

Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Operation Guide iii

iv Ethernet RMO N MultiProbe Module Installation and Operati on Guide

How to Use This Guide

Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

Structure of This Guid e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiv

Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

Related Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xvi

3Com Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii

Reference Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviii

Chapter 1 — Introduction

RMON Over view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

RMON Architect ure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

RMON Probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

RMON Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Ethernet RMON Group s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

RMON MultiProb e Mo du l e Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

RMON MultiProb e Mo du le Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Theory of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

Sample Applicatio n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9

Contents

Chapter 2 — Installing the Module

Precautionary Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Quick Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Unpacking Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Installing the RMON MultiProbe Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Connecting a Termi nal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

Initializing the RM ON MultiProbe Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Monitoring the Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Operation Guide v

Chapter 3 — Configuring the Module

Configuration Men u Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Modifying Configuratio n Menu Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

Using the Main Configu ration Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Using the Downlo ad M enu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9

Using the Modify/View Configuration Values Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11

Using the Modify/View Serial Configuration Values Menu . . . . . . . . 3-13

Modem Init Strings and Hang up String s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17

Modem Response Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19

Using the Modify /View Network Settings Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20

Using the Modify/View Netw or k Interfac e Settings M enu s . . . . . . . 3-23

Configuring the Module and Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26

Assigning the Interface IP Address and Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26

Assigning the Module Default G atew ay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28

Using BOOTP to Configure the Module and Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . 3-29

BOOTP Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29

BOOTP Configu ratio n Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29

BOOTP Req uirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30

Using BOOTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30

Sample BOOTPtab file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30

Assigning Interfaces to Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32

Using the DIP Switch to As sign Netw orks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33

Using Managemen t Commands to Assign Interfaces to Netwo rks . . 3-35

Management Comm and Examp les . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36

Saving Network As signments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37

Showing Mod ule and Interf ac e Config urati ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37

Show Module Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37

Show Port Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38

Re-initializing th e RMON MultiProbe Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40

Warm-Startin g the RMON Mu ltiPro be M od ule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41

Cold-Startin g the R MON Mu ltiPr obe M od ule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42

vi Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and O peration Guide

Chapter 4 — Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Startup Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Troubleshooting Malfunctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Troubleshooting Netw ork C on necti vity Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Technical Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9

Appendix A — Specifications

Electrical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-2

Environmental Spec ific ation s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2

Mechanical Specificatio ns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3

General Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-3

Connectors and Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-4

RS-232 25-Pin Port Connector Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-5

RS-232 Crossover Cable for a PC or Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6

Modem Cable Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-7

Sample Out-of-Band Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-7

Using the RMON Mu ltiPro be M od ule SLIP Addr ess . . . . . . . . . . . A-9

RS-232 Straight-Through Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-10

RS-232 Null-Modem Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-11

Memory Con figu ration Allocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-12

Appendix B — Technical Support

On-line Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1

Email Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2

World Wide Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2

Support from Your Netw ork Sup plier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2

Support from 3Com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3

Returning Produ cts for Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4

Accessing the 3Com MIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4

3Com Technical Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-5

Index

Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Oper ation Guide vii

viii Ethernet R MON MultiProbe Module Installation and Operation Gui de

Figures

Figure 1-1. RMON Sampl e App licat ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9

Figure 2-1. RMON MultiProbe Module in the

Figure 2-2. Main Configuration Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

Figure 2-3. RMON MultiProbe Module Front Panel LEDs

Figure 3-1. Configuration Men u Flow C hart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Figure 3-2. Main Configuration Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Figure 3-3. Download Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9

Figure 3-4. Modify/View Con figu ration Values Menu . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11

Figure 3-5. Modify/View Serial Con figu ratio n Values Menu . . . . . . . 3-14

Figure 3-6. Modify/View Network Settin gs Men u . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21

Figure 3-7. Modify/View Network Int erface 1 Settings M enu . . . . . 3-24

Figure 3-8. DIP Switch Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33

Figure A-1. RS-232 Crossover Cable for a Terminal With a

Figure A-2. Out-of-Band Connections to the RMON

Figure A-3. RS-232 Straigh t-Th rou gh Cable Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . .A-11

ONline System Concentrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

and Reset Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11

25-Pin Connecto r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-6

MultiProbe Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-8

Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Operation Guide ix

x Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Operation Guide

Tables

Table 2-1. Quick Installation Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Table 2-2 . Mo du le LED Interpretations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12

Table 3-1 . Main Co nfi guration Menu Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Table 3-2 . Do wnload Menu Descripti on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10

Table 3-3. Modify/View Configuration Values Menu

Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12

Table 3-4. Modify/View Serial Configuration Values

Menu Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15

Table 3-5 . Mo dem Init Strings and Hangup String s. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17

Table 3-6. Conn ect Respo nse String Examp l e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 -19

Table 3-7 . Modify/View Network Settings Menu Descr iption. . . . . . 3 -22

Table 3-8. Modify/V iew Network Interface Settings Menu

Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25

Table 3-9. Network Selection DIP Switch Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34

Table 3-1 0. RMON MultiProbe Module Information Preserved

and Lost on Warm Start. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41

Table 3-1 1. RMON MultiProbe Module Information Preserved

and Lost on Cold Start. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42

Table 4-1. Diag no stic Tests and Interface Status LEDs. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Table 4-2. Trou blesh ooting Malfu nc tions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Table A-1. RMON MultiProbe Module RS-232 25-Pin Port

Connecto r Pinouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-5

Table A-2. RS-232 Straight-Through Cable Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-10

Table A-3. Maximum Number of Entries for Ethernet Tables . . . . . .A-12

Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Operation Guide xi

xii Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Mod ule Installation and Operation Guide

This guide describes how to install the 3Com Ethernet RMON MultiProbe™
Module into the 3Com ONline™ System Concentrator and the ONcore®
Switching Hub. This guide also provides troubleshooting suggestions to use
if a problem occurs with the module.

Audience

This guide is intended for the following people at your site:

How to Use This Guide

❑ Network manager or administrator
❑ Hardware installer

Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Modu le Installation and Operation Guide xiii

Structure of This Guide

This guide contains the following chapters and appendix:
Chapter 1, Introduction – Provides an introduction to the 3Com Ethernet

RMON Mul tiProbe Module.
Chapter 2, Installing the Module – Describes the installation

procedures for the module and describes how to monitor the front panel.
Chapter 3, Confi gurin g the Module – Descr ibes how t o con fig ure the

module for op er ation.
Chapter 4, Troubleshooting – Describes troubleshooting information

for correcting possible problems during module installation or operation.
Appendix A, Specifications – Provides specifications for the RM O N

MultiProbe Module.
Appendix B, Technical Support – Lists the various methods for

contacting the 3Com technical support organization and for accessing
other product support services.

Index

xiv Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Operation Guide

Document Conventions

The following document conven tions are used in this guide:

Convention Indicates Example

Courier text User input In the Agent Information Form,

System output After pressing the Apply

enter MIS in the New Contact
field.

button, the system displays
the message
Transmi tt in g da ta .

Bold command
string

Italic text in braces User-substituted

Capitalized text in
plain brackets

Italics Text emphasis,

Path names Before you begin, read the

identifiers

Keyboard entry
by the user

document titles

readme.txt file located in
/usr/snm/agents.

Use the following command to
show port details:

SHOW PORT {

Type your password and press
[ENTER].

Ensure that you press the Apply
button after you add the new
search parameters.

slot

.all} VERBOSE

Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Oper ation Guide xv

Convention Indicates Example

Note: A Note. The

Caution: A Caution. A

Warning: A Warning. A

Related Documents

This section provides in formation on supporting documentation, including:

❑ 3Com Documents

information is
important

condition may
damage
software or
hardware

condition may
threaten
personal safety

Note: Use STP lobe
cables for your system.

Caution: Do not put
your installation
diskettes on a
magnetic surfac e.
This may damage the
diskettes.

Warning: Wear eye
protection when
performin g these
maintenance
procedures.

❑ Reference Documents

xvi Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Operation Guide

3Com Documents

The following documents provide additional information on 3Com
products:

ONline System Concentrator Installation and Operation Guide - Provides
information on the installation, op eration, and configuration of the
ONline System Concentrator. This guide also describes the principal
features of the ONline Fault-To lerant Controller Module.

ONcore Switch ing Hu b Installa tion an d Opera tion Gu ide - Provides
information on the installation, op eration, and configuration of the
ONcore Switching Hub. This guide also describes the principal features of
the ONcore Fault-Tolerant Controller Module.

ONline Ethernet Management Module Installation and Operation Guide ­Provides information on the operation , installation, and configuration of
the ONline Ethernet Management Module.

Distributed Management Module User’s Guide - Provides information on
the operation, installation, and configuration of the ONcore Distributed
Management Module. This guide also describes the software commands
associated with the Distributed Management Module.

ONline Ma nage me nt C omm and s Gu ide - Describes the software
commands associated with the ONline Management Modules.

Distributed M a nage me nt M odu le C omm an ds Gu ide - Describes each
management command by providin g detailed information on the
commands’s fo rmat, use, and description.

For a complete list of 3Com documents, contact your 3Com representative.

Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Operation Guide xvii

Reference Documents

The following documents supply related background information:

Case, J., Fedor, M., Scoffstall, M., and J. Davin, The Simple Network
Management Protocol, RFC 1157, University of Tennessee at Knoxville,

Performance Systems International and the MIT Laboratory for Computer
Science, May 1990.

Rose, M., and K. McCloghrie, Structure and Identification of
Management Information for TCP/IP-based Internets, RFC 1155 ,

Performance Systems International and Hugh es LAN Systems, May 1990.
Waldbusser S., Remote Networ k Monitoring Management Information

Base, RFC 1757, Carnegie Mellon University, February 1995.

xviii Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Operation Guide

1

Introduction

This chapter provides an introduction to the 3Com Ethernet RMON
MultiProbe Module (hereafter referred to as the RMON MultiProbe
Module). The RMON MultiProbe Module is managed by the following
3Com management modules:

❑ ONcore® Distributed Management Module (Version V2.10)
❑ ONline Ethernet Management Module (Version V4.20)

This chapter contains the following sections:

❑ RMON Overview
❑ RMON MultiProbe Module Overview
❑ RMON MultiProbe Module Features

Introduction 1 - 1

RMON Overview

Remote Monitoring (RMON) is a standards-based network management
tool that allows you to efficiently and effectively monitor segments
throughout the network. You can use RMON to id en tify and isolate
potential problems in your network before disruptions occur.

RMON-compliant devices operate without impacting network operation.
They function as promiscuous devices, which listen to and capture data on
the network, but do not add ad ditional traffic.

The following sections describe :

❑ RMON Architecture
❑ Ethernet R MO N Groups

RMON Architecture

RMON techn ology requires two components within a network:

❑ RMON Probe
❑ RMON Client

RMON Probe

An RMON probe contains both hardware and software, and is referred to
as the RMON agent. As a promiscuous device, the RMON probe:

❑ Observes packets on the network
❑ Captures packets that match user-defined criteria
❑ Stores packets from the network segment

Through the packet capture and store feature, the RMON agent provides
an extensive set of Ethernet-based statistics to the network manage r.

1 - 2 Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Operation Guide

RMON Client

The RMON Client consists of a management station running an application
that uses SNMP (such as the 3Com ONdemand LANsentry™ software) to
request data from the probe and display that data in various formats. You
can also use the graphical interface to configure the RMON agent.

The client application does not have to be located on the same segments as
the network to which the probe is assigned, but does need connectivity to
the networks.

Etherne t RMON Groups

The Ethernet RMON standard is defined in Request For Comment (RFC)
1757 (formerly 1271). The goal of the standard is to ensure interoperability
in multivendor environments. As defined by the RFC standards for Ethernet
RMON, the Ethernet RMON specification identifies the following RMON
groups:

❑ Alarm Group - Allows you to define and set thresholds for various

counters. If a counter reaches a predefined threshold, an event is
generated. (See Event Group below. )

❑ Event Group - Controls the action taken as a result of an event, (an

event can be triggered by an alarm). For example, if a counter
reaches a threshold, then a trap may be generated or an event may
be logged.

❑ Filter Group - Instructs the RMON Mult iProbe Module to capture

only those packets that match a specific criteria (such as IP Protocol
or a specific MAC address).

❑ History Group - Provides histo rical views of statistics based on

predefined sampling intervals. This information illustrates traffic or
error patterns, which can be useful in trend analysis.

❑ Host Group - Contains statistical counters, grouped by MAC address,

specific to each station on the network. This group also contains the
order in which devices or stations were discovered.

Introduction 1 - 3

❑ HostT opN Group - Sorts stations by top traffic contributors. You can

use this information to identify the most active hosts on a segment or
the hosts producing the most errors.

❑ Matrix Group - Collects statistics between pairs of device s on the

network and tracks information specific to each connection, such as
the number of packets transmitted between devices.

❑ Packet Capture Group - Handles the capture and uploading of

packets collected by the RMON MultiProbe M odule.

❑ Statistics Group - Contains cumulative traffic and error statistics (for

example, packet distribution, and Cyclic Redundancy Check) for each
device being monitored.

1 - 4 Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Operation Guide

RMON MultiProbe Modu le Overvi ew

The RMON MultiProbe Mo dule is a single-slot Ethernet mo dule that you
install in an ONline and ONcore hub. The RMON MultiProbe Module can
monitor up to three Ethernet networks simultaneou sly and perform all
functions on all networks in parallel.

The RMON MultiProbe Module supports:

❑ UDP/IP (User Datagram Protocol/Internet Protocol) over Ethernet
❑ SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protoco l )
❑ SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol ) over UD P for

management access

❑ ICMP (Int e rnet Control Message Protocol) Echo and Redirect

Introduction 1 - 5

RMON MultiProbe Modu le Features

When you use the RMON MultiProbe Module in conjunction with an RMON
client application, you can:

❑ Monitor the network
❑ Generate reports based on network information
❑ Filter and capture packets
❑ Process events and thresholds
❑ Detect network events

In addition, the RMON MultiProbe Module monitors:

❑ Per-network collisions
❑ Per-port collisions (PPC)
❑ Port-address correlation (PAC)

1 - 6 Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Operation Guide

Other benefits of the RMON MultiProbe Module include:

❑ 3Com T riChannel™ Architecture - The RMON MultiProbe Module

operates in an ONline System Concentrator and an ONcore Switching
Hub.

❑ Slot Independence - Y ou can install modules into any available slot

in a 3Com ONline or ONcore hub. This flexibility eliminates the need
to shut down the network and rearrange the existing configuration
of the concentrato r when you install new modu les.

❑ Hot Swap Capability - Y ou can install or remove modules from the

ONline or ONcore hubs when the hub is pow ered up without
affecting the operation of any other modules in the concentrator.

❑ Management Support - You can manage the RMON M ultiProbe

Module through the 3Com® ONdemand LANsentry application. Y ou
can also manage the module using terminal management through an
ONline Ethernet Management M odule (EMM) or an ONcore
Distributed Management Module (DMM).

❑ Compliance - The 3Com Ethernet RMO N MultiProbe Module

complies with the RM O N standard as defined by RFC 1757 .

Introduction 1 - 7

Theory of Operation

This section describes the theory of operation for the RMON MultiProbe
Module.

The RMON MultiProbe Module:

❑ Supports simultaneo us analysis of three Ethernet channels
❑ Monitors the network proactively

For example, when a network event occurs or a problem becomes
apparent in the network, you use a protocol analyzer to attempt to isolate
and correct the problem. RMON technology also provides you with
protocol analyzer capabilities. However , RMON takes a more proactive
approach to netwo rk monitoring by:

❑ Alerting you of network events before they can become a problem
❑ Providing you with information to help isolate problems

You can also confi gure the RMON MultiProbe Module to check
continuously for specific error conditio ns and notify you or log the event
when the conditions occur.

1 - 8 Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Operation Guide

Sample Application

Figure 1-1 illustrates a sample application of RMON MultiProbe Modules in
a concentrator monitoring Ether net segments in Boston and New York.
With the appropriate interconnection s, yo u can view the RMON data
collected by the RMON MultiProbe Modules from a client w orkstation
application in Los Angeles

.

Router

RMON
Module

Boston

RMON

Module

Los AngelesNew York

Management
Console with
RMON Client
Application

Router

Router

Figure 1-1. RMON Sample Application

Introduction 1 - 9

2

Installing the Module

This chapter contains the following sections:

❑ Precautionary Procedures
❑ Quick Installation
❑ Unpacking Procedures
❑ Installing the RMON MultiProbe M odule
❑ Connecting a Terminal
❑ Initializing the RMON MultiProbe Module
❑ Monitoring the Front Panel

Installing the Module 2 - 1

Precautionary Procedures

Caution: Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage

static-sensitive devices on circuit boards.

When you handle the module:

❑ Do not remove the boa rd from its antistatic shielding bag unt il you

are ready to inspect or install it.

❑ Handle the board by the faceplate only .

Use proper grounding techniques when you install the module, including:

❑ Using a footstrap and grounded mat or wearing a grounded static

discharge wrist stra p .

❑ Touching the grounded rack or other source of ground just before

you handle the module.

2 - 2 Ethernet RMON MultiProbe Module Installation and Operation Guide